Algarve and Alentejo: a 2 week campervan road trip from Faro
8 – 22 May · 14 nights · A loop from Faro out to the wild Atlantic cliffs of Sagres and the Costa Vicentina, then inland through the Alentejo's cork-oak plains to Évora and Monsaraz, and back by way of the Ria Formosa lagoon — long, quiet days for walkers who would rather linger than drive.
Every campsite on this route is a real, named site from OpenStreetMap — pinned where it actually is, with its own website where there is one, so you can check it before you drive there.
Getting there: 118 km · 2 h 20 from Faro · Straightforward dual carriageway west from Faro airport past Lagos, narrowing to a simple two-lane road for the last stretch into Sagres — easy for a 7m van, just watch for tight turns in the village centre itself.
May 8 - arrive Sagres
14:00Arrive Sagres and check in at the campsite
16:00Wander the ramparts of the Fortaleza de Sagres
19:30Sunset walk out to Cabo de São Vicente lighthouse
May 9 - Cabo de São Vicente
09:30Cliff walk along Cabo de São Vicente
13:30Lunch in Sagres village
16:00Beach time at Praia do Beliche
May 10 - day trip to Ponta da Piedade
09:00Drive to Lagos and walk the cliff path at Ponta da Piedade
13:30Lunch and stroll around Lagos marina
17:00Return to Sagres
May 11 - Sagres beaches
10:00Surf-watching and swim at Praia do Tonel
13:00Relaxed lunch by the harbour
15:30Quiet afternoon at Praia da Mareta
May 12 - depart for Vila Nova de Milfontes
09:30Pack up and head north along the Costa Vicentina road
11:00Stop to walk the boardwalks above Praia da Bordeira
13:00Lunch stop in Aljezur
15:00Continue on to Vila Nova de Milfontes
2
12 – 15 May · Stop 2 of 5
Vila Nova de Milfontes
3 nightsCosta Vicentina cliff walkPraia do MalhãoRio Mira waterfront
Powered site · ~14.2 km from Vila Nova de Milfontes
Getting there: 102 km · 1 h 58 from Sagres · A quiet inland road across the Costa Vicentina Natural Park with occasional glimpses of the Atlantic, then a wider approach into the town — fine for a large van but slow through the odd sandy village stretch.
May 12 - arrive Vila Nova de Milfontes
16:30Check in and settle at the campsite
17:30Stroll along the Rio Mira waterfront
19:30Dinner in town
May 13 - Costa Vicentina walk
09:30Drive south to walk the cliffs above Praia do Malhão
13:00Picnic lunch overlooking the Atlantic
15:30Continue on to Zambujeira do Mar for more clifftop views
May 14 - river and town
10:00Canoe outing on the Rio Mira
13:30Lunch back in town
16:00Easy afternoon on Praia das Furnas
May 15 - depart for Évora
09:30Head inland across the Alentejo plains toward Évora
Power not recorded · ~14.7 km from Évora · OpenStreetMap records only the name — check it takes vans
Getting there: 142 km · 2 h 33 from Vila Nova de Milfontes · Open rolling wheatfields and cork oak country on a good main road — an easy, gentle drive for a large motorhome.
May 15 - arrive Évora
13:30Check in at the campsite
15:00Walk the old town and the Templo de Diana
19:00Dinner near the Praça do Giraldo
May 16 - explore Évora
09:30Visit the Sé de Évora cathedral
11:30Capela dos Ossos at Igreja de São Francisco
14:00Wander the university cloisters and old streets
May 17 - Cromeleque dos Almendres
09:30Drive out to the megaliths at Cromeleque dos Almendres
12:00Lunch in a nearby village
14:30Return to Évora for a relaxed afternoon
May 18 - depart for Monsaraz
10:00Drive east across the Alentejo toward Monsaraz
Getting there: 70 km · 1 h 26 from Évora · A short, easy hop through vineyard country beside the Alqueva reservoir — good sightlines and a wide road, though the final climb up to the walled village is narrow and best walked rather than driven.
May 18 - arrive Monsaraz
13:30Check in at the aire in Reguengos de Monsaraz
15:00Walk up into the walled village of Monsaraz
19:00Dinner with views over the Alqueva reservoir
May 19 - explore Monsaraz
10:00Wander the Castelo de Monsaraz ramparts
12:00Drive down to a viewpoint over the Barragem do Alqueva
15:00Visit the Menir do Outeiro standing stone
19:30Sunset from the village walls
May 20 - depart for Tavira
09:00Head south toward the Guadiana valley and on to Tavira
11:35Stop to explore the castle in Mértola
14:30Continue on to Tavira
5
20 – 22 May · Stop 5 of 5
Tavira
2 nightsRia Formosa boat tripIlha de Tavira beachRoman bridge of Tavira
Getting there: 227 km · 4 h 20 from Monsaraz · A steady descent from the Alentejo hills down onto the flat Algarve coastal plain, on good open roads the whole way.
May 20 - arrive Tavira
17:00Check in at the campsite
18:00Stroll across the old Roman bridge and through Tavira's old town
20:00Dinner by the river
May 21 - Ria Formosa
09:30Boat trip through the Ria Formosa lagoon
13:00Lunch near the harbour
15:00Ferry over to Ilha de Tavira for the beach
May 22 - depart for Faro
09:30Pack up and drive west along the coast toward Faro
11:00Arrive Faro to end the trip
22 May · End of the trip
Faro
Getting there: 46 km · 54 min from Tavira
May 22 - trip ends in Faro
11:00Arrive in Faro and return the campervan
12:30Wander the old town and the Ria Formosa waterfront before departure
A plan, not a promise. Campsites, roads and opening times can be wrong or out of date — check anything you'd be sorry to get wrong.
Campsites come from OpenStreetMap, which volunteers maintain. A site listed here may have closed, be full, open only in season, or be tagged wrong. We link the site’s own page where there is one, and pin it where OSM says it is — always confirm it exists, and book it yourself.
Distances and times are measured on real roads, not guessed. But a router doesn't know about roadworks, a closed pass, a ferry that stops running in October, or the height, width and weight limits that apply to a large campervan. Treat them as good numbers, not gospel.
The day-by-day plan is written by AI. Opening hours, prices, whether a thing runs in your season, and whether it suits your vehicle or your party can all be wrong. Check anything you'd be sorry to arrive and find shut.
Local rules are yours to know. Where you may park and sleep overnight, what a licence permits, and what the road demands of a big van vary by country and change without telling us.
Use your own judgement, and see our Terms for the rest.
Want this Portugal campervan trip, but planned for you?
Different dates. A different start. Shorter driving days, or no toddler in the back. Change the shape of it and re-plan any stop — you get your own copy, and one link to share with everyone in the van.
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